Not everyone who visits this site is a Christian, because many get to this site when using Google or some other search engine. I address this note to such friends and readers. First of all, welcome to my blog. Secondly, if something in this blog surprises/intrigues/irritates/upsets you, please feel free to leave a comment along with your Email ID.
On my part, when comments are genuine, I promise to:
- Send you a reply.
- Not publish your comment if you indicate that you do not wish for your comment to be made public.
- Not get irritated or impatient. If you feel angry or disagree with something in this blog, please feel free to express it.
Courage to tremble 
Just stumbled on your blog. I bookmarked it. I love what you are doing. Keep doing it. I have read and listened to J I Packer’s “Knowing God” probably 20 times or more. In it he tells the lays out the walk of faith in easy to read language, and yet does not thin it down at all. He was a faithful teacher of the Word. Your work will add to his rich heritage. Thank you for your labors in the vineyard of men’s souls.
Enjoying your blog.. stumbled on it while looking for a comparison between reformed baptist and brethren!
Hi! May I leave a link to my Blog here? My blog is about Tamil Romanised Bible. Thank you!
Tamil Romanised Bible >>> http://tamilromanisedbible.blogspot.my/2016/03/contact.html
please let me know asap, if there is “such a church” as this, in dayton, oh
Thank you, Rus
Hi Rus
I am responding to your comment on my blog. It isn’t clear what you mean by “such a church”. Is this a response to something I’ve written? If so, can you tell me which post it was or atleast what it was about.
Meanwhile, may God bless you.
Nahomi
https://www.facebook.com/groups/AlumniClarence/permalink/10152886237489878/
Have posted on Alumni Clarence material from your blog- found it while searching on Google
Hi,
I see your change from traditional Indian Christian to slightly calvinistic (pentecostal) type reformed Christian …. well if this is your story, i invite you to write a blog on renewedto honor — toancientofdays.blogspot.com … i have been writing for some years and i have the simillar interests to yours, although i am as young as your oldest child …. so, let me know.
Thank you, Subin, for writing. It is true that I now have Calvinistic leanings, but I am not pentecostal and as such feel that some of the gifts of the Spirit, which were invaluable in the days before the New Testament was written, are not given to us in these days.
I can see that you love the Lord and strive to walk in His ways. May God use you for the furtherance of His kingdom.
I came across this blog searching for John paton biography articles and i am blessed to have found this blog. god bless!
Hi Nahomi,
I passed out of Clarence High School (Class X) in the year 1965. I was searching the net to find my batch mates when I came across your blog. Do you belong to the batch of 1965 (I saw a reference to one Thomas George who belonged to the batch of 1965 so I assume that you too belong to the same batch).
Looking forward to a reply from you and to connecting with more of my batch mates.
Regards
Mary
Please contact, I am grandson of Walter and Jean Redwood, living in NZ.
Hello
Myself Ashish from Jodhpur Rajasthan. I have gone through the NZ Newsletters 1 to 4. It was a great source of information to me. I and my wife are palnning to immigrate to NZ may be in the month of June,2010. She is a nurse by profession and she’ll be upgrading her nursing degree from the UCOL ate Palmerston North. I will be coming on the dependent VISA and will be working there. We are also having a baby of one year. Hope we’ll not have any problem settling there. As you are already in that country and might have had lot of good and bad expriences there. I would like to have your advice regarding that country. What good and bads we’ll be facing there. I think people there might be good and helpful unlike in India where everybody pulls each other legs. I would also like to have your suggestions so that we may also mentally be prepared for what we might be facing there.
Hi Nahomi,
Please can you e-mail me any updates you have on Ms Horton and DrCoates.
I would like to get in touch with them.
My last update from you was a long time ago and I have lost those e-mails.
Thanks,
Annabelle
Hi Nahomi,
So glad to find you on your blog. Your journey is SO LIKE ours. We started off in a Bible College teaching reformed truths and 36 years later we have been in all kinds of denominations – always holding on to the Word (for dear life!). A year ago we “found” a church: evangelical, sound teaching, lots of love – and we are still pinching ourselves. Spicer Street Independant Church (368 year old. Any case, we are from South Africa and have been in UK for 10 years. Our younger daughter and young family are aiming to move to Aucland in the next 6 months or so and wonder at which church you are.
Also…do you twitter?
With so much in common with you that I have to sign off with love, Estelle
Hi, My name is Sheila and I was a student of Clarence High School from 1950 to 1961. Redwood House. I remember both Alfred and Walter Redwood and it was lovely seeing those pictures of them when they were young. Teddy Bears with Miss Horton, Standard 1 with Miss Bailey et all. I loved reading all that was written about the school and it brought back such fond memories. I am what I am today because of Clarence. Will share more memories of Clarence if I hear from you sheila
I am not sure if there would be any trademark violation with the name of your online book…
Thanks for bringing it to my attention, we’ll have to modify the title then.
-n-
Greetings and blessings from Ruban Davis, Son of J.M. Davis, son of the Late Gnanasobhanam. I came across your blog with photographs of my grandmother with her sisters. I am glad to see names of me and my brothers, Selvan and Caleb. I also have a sister Salome in Madras.
I had another Sister Rani, who passed away in 1983. We are serving God full time as pastors in Canada, dubai and Abu Dhabi. Please be in touch.
May the good Lord continue to bless you and your family!
Hello Ruban, hopefully you’ll receive my email on time. God willing, I am coming to Dubai on a buisiness trip at the end of Janurary 2011. I would love to visit your church. Please reply ASAP. Say Hello to Caleb and Selvan annan. Would love to meet you all.
Prabhu
Mississauga, ON
Thank you John for your comment.
I can only give you my opinion on this matter. I believe that as Indians and Christians we must be loyal citizens and respectful of authority. We must sing the National anthem for that reason. My post was to point out that when we sing, we can sing the anthem with more meaning than even Tagore intended, because we long for our people to be saved. I do not think that he was a Christian although he most certainly would have been influenced by Christianity.
You wrote: “How many of us are qualified to say that our relationship with Him is deep enough to compose,preach etc ?” Far too many people are out there preaching without being sent by the Lord. The Bible warns such people, saying: Let not many of you become teachers. Let me also hasten to add that we must all share Jesus with those around us. But to become Pastors or Evangelists is given to some specially assigned for the task by God.
I do not think my father would be aware of the Tamil translation of Oswald Chambers’ book, if it has been done in recent years. I shall ask him though.
I have links to the sermons of John Piper, John MacArthur, and Al Martin, from my blog. Do listen to them when you have free time. May God bless you and help you in your walk with Him.
My question/dillemma/desire is that should not Christians sing the National Anthem, with conviction etc.. I agree that it is songs composed by those who have a deep relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, that should be sung etc. Yet a) we/I must find out some more about RT’s attitude towards our Lord (apparently there was strong Christian influence). In this context, how many of us are qualified to say that our relationship with Him is deep enough to compose,preach etc ? Finally, a relationship with Him results in Character, Holiness. David was a murderer, adulterer, yet The Lord used him as certainly David was devoted to the Lord, a repentant devotee. I earnestly hope RT was a little like that, before we decide “that he was not one such” Shall check and let you know. Best wishes Y
PS Have you used a book called “My Utmost For His Highest” Would GB know about the Tamil version (done by a Dr. Spurgeon from Nagercoil); if so would appreciate his opinion on it; as we (John Ten Ten !) are attempting to popularise it (the Updated English version apart from the Tamil version) also to co ordinate it’s translation into Hindi, Malayalam and maybe another 10 languages of our country. I have used it for 14 years now and do state that I am a better Christian for it.
I have never spoken to him about this. I am sure he would be happy to know that the National Anthem is a reminder to our people of their need for salvation. He would have the highest respect for the anthem as any other good citizen of the country would. He is also the one who taught me to sing it correctly.
However I doubt that he would be happy to use it as a regular prayer for Christians. He is not one to use memorised prayers, but his prayers come from his heart out of a personal relationship with his Lord and Savior.
Another point to note is that the hymns that we sing in worship must be written by people who have a deep relationship with God and a deep knowledge of the Bible. The song writers in the Bible, such as David and Asaph, were godly theologians. Rabindranath Tagore, for all his wisdom and gifts was not one such.
What does GB feel about the National Anthem, as a prayer that acknowledges the paramount importance of salvation etc ?. I was encouraged in my faith in Him while reading about GB
Y
where do you find the energy and time to do all these?I want to eat the same food.PAN
hi, i came across your blog while i was researching more about the tragic canyoning accident which involved the students from Elim College. i went to church with one of the boys who passed away, anthony mulder.
i was drawn to your site because I, too, was an immigrant christian living in auckland for a while. i shared your same struggles of being a believer in a secular country.
my husband, son, and i moved from california in 2005 to dannemora because my husband was offered a teaching position at the university of auckland. we have since moved back to california but still have fond memories of our time in NZ.
i was wondering what church you are attending. we were members at the reformed church of bucklands beach, which is very close to maclean’s college. at the time there was a growing number of tamil speaking members. do you happen to know Prem Daniel and Hachila Kumar? we were in the same bible study group.
your weblog is very encouraging. your faith and wisdom and love for the Lord is apparent in your writing. thank you for inspiring me to love the Lord more fervently.
I remember too the discussion we had about accents and the kiwi one in particular :). I also remember the conference lectures on sanctification.
We have been praying for you in the church. May the Lord be with you and help you in all the aspects concerning your move to NJ.
-n-
Hello!
I hope that you remember me from our trip to the conference last year- Sept. (I was going to write “last fall”, but remembered it was your ‘spring’! 🙂 ) It was good to look over your blog a little this morning. It is great to hear of you the rest of your group traveling to hear DA Carson. You made me miss all of you and thankful for the work that God continues in NZ. LW we will be able to return some day. Please pass on a greeting to both the Orrs and Aikens.
In our church here in Minnesota we also sing both of the hymns that you referred to. They are both dear to me.
We have just sold our home and we are planning to move to NJ in June. Please keep our family and both churches in your prayers during this transitional time.
God Bless.
hi couragetotremble,
i was very interested to read your blog posts about clarence high school. i too was a student there, although i think more recently than you – i joined in 1980 and left in 1998. it was especially lovely to see the photo you have put up of the old school auditorium. i only have a very vague memory of that building, but i do clearly remember i loved it!